Not Yet
by HauntedVampyre
Summary: Ramsey is injured after a freak accident and Owen reflects on their relationship. The game says that Ramsey is strict towards Owen, so I wanted to express his kinder side with this story. Also Molly X Owen. Rated T. I don't own anything
1. Phone call

**Hello again. It's been a while.**

**Story time: I was at Birmingham Comic Con November 2013 and picked **_**up Harvest Moon: Animal Parade**_**. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to play it very often because I am at university where I don't have a wii and so I can only play it when I am home for the holidays. Up until then it was only **_**Island of Happiness **_**and **_**Sunshine Islands**_**. This piece just hopped across my mind one day. Isn't it nice when a strike of inspiration suddenly comes out of nowhere?**

**I married Owen and personally I don't think there are enough OwenXMolly fics, so whilst this one is mainly about Owen and Ramsey I have tried to put some OwenXMolly moments in here too.**

**I'm not entirely sure of Ramsey and Owen's relation. Internet said Grandfather, but I'm sure the game said Uncle. Anyway, in this story it's grandfather/grandson.**

**I am still fairly new to the world of **_**Animal Parade**_** so forgive me if anyone appears OOC. Also I haven't written fiction in a long time so...forgive me in general.**

**Enjoy!**

"Owen, can we cuddle?" Molly asked, playfully. She widened her eyes and batted her eyelashes at her husband, who laughed.

"You know you don't need to ask," he grinned, pulling her into his strong arms and tugging the bedcovers over their heads.

Molly snuggled into Owen's chest, nuzzling into his neck, where she started leaving a trail of soft, gentle kisses at the same time as sliding her hand up his t-shirt.

_Rrrring!_

"What?" Owen pulled the covers away from his head and glared at the phone that had suddenly and rudely interrupted something that he was sure he would have enjoyed very much.

"It's eleven at night, who's calling?" Molly groaned, as Owen climbed out of bed to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Owen?"

It was Owen's eight year old cousin, Chloe. She and Owen had been very close and even when Owen got married and moved to the farm, she seemed to be round every other day. Molly didn't mind; she thought Chloe was adorable.

Something was wrong here. Chloe's voice was scared, and at a higher pitch than normal. Owen could only remember her speaking like that when she was about to cry. She rarely cried.

"Chloe, what's wrong?"

"I...it...Grandpa..." she suddenly broke into the most desperate crying Owen had ever heard.

Owen felt his blood run cold. Had something happened to Ramsey?

"Chloe, please tell me."

On the other end of the phone, Chloe sniffed and took a deep breath to choke out what she wanted to say.

"Grandpa's hurt. I don't know what happened. I was sleeping when I heard this crash. I went into the shop and he was just lying there with his eyes closed...and...and...he's bleeding..." Chloe was crying again.

Owen's stomach flipped over and he had to swallow hard. "Stay in your bedroom, OK? I'll be right over. Try to stay calm and wait for me."

He put the phone down and looked over at Molly, who was biting her lip.

"Ramsey had some kind of accident. He needs a doctor. I'm going over there now, just go to sleep."

"Are you crazy?" Molly asked, gently. She wrapped her arms tightly around Owen's waist and looked up at him. "I'm coming with you. You look like you're about to fall apart and if something has happened then I won't be able to sleep anyway, I'll just be up worrying about you all. I'm coming with you."

Owen nodded, and hugged her back. "Alright then." He kissed the top of her head.

Ten minutes later, he and Molly, both properly dressed, arrived at the blacksmith. Owen carefully pushed the door open, afraid of what he might see.

Whatever had happened must have been behind the counter. There was no sign of Ramsey.

"Let's find Chloe first?" Molly suggested.

"I told her to wait in her room," Owen nodded, leading Molly round into the house.

Chloe was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees. Her orange hair was out of its usual ponytail. Her usually-happy face was pale and tear-stained. Her eyelashes were wet and spiky and her eyes were red-rimmed.

"Oh, Chloe," Owen said softly, and lifted her up into a hug.

"I'm sorry I called you so late," Chloe sniffled.

"Don't be," Molly said, one hand on Owen's back, the other brushing away Chloe's tears. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"What should we do? Grandpa needs help," Chloe said, looking at Owen.

It might have been because Owen hadn't seen Ramsey yet, but he felt numb. He couldn't quite get a grip on what was happening. Maybe he had suddenly dropped to sleep and was dreaming. Molly would shake him awake and make a joke about how she was boring him when her aim was to please.

"Owen?" Chloe was looking at him desperately. Owen shook his head clear and put her back on her feet.

"Call a doctor I guess," he said. "Molly, can you call the clinic and tell them to expect us?"

Chloe sat at the table, whilst Molly called Jin and told them an accident had happened at the blacksmith.

Meanwhile Owen decided to finally investigate behind the counter.

Ramsey was lying on his side, his eyes closed his mouth slack. A branding iron was on the floor next to him and it looked as if he had been using it. There was a nasty burn on his leg which could only have been cause by the white-hot metal. The burnt skin was weeping pus.

The blood came from a cut on his head which must have happened from the impact of the old man's head on the concrete floor. The gash was accompanied by a deep purple bruise that Owen could have sworn was growing in front of his very eyes.

That's when he noticed the hammer lying by Ramsey's head. His eyes slowly travelled upward to a broken nail in the wall. It looked like the nail had suddenly been unable to bear the weight of an iron hammer.

"Oh, holy cow..."Owen moaned faintly, stumbling backwards against the wall. His fingers found the door knob and he turned it, opening the door a crack. "Molly, tell them to get a stretcher over here ASAP..."

Molly slid through the crack in the door and caught a glimpse of Ramsey behind the counter.

"Oh my dear sweet lord," she gasped, before turning to Owen and holding his face in her hands.

"Just remember, Chloe's in there and she's counting on you. She's very upset and shaken up and if she sees you freaking out as well it will be so much worse for her. So try and keep it together when she's around, OK?"

Owen's grey eyes found Molly's amber eyes. He gazed into them for a minute. _So beautiful_.

He took a deep breath and stood up properly. "Chloe," he said. "OK."

Molly managed a small smile as she wrapped her arm around her husband's back and led him into the living room and into a chair.

"Owen?" Chloe asked. "Are you alright?"

_If she sees you freaking out as well it will be so much worse for her..._

"I'm alright," Owen reassured Chloe, managing a smile.

Meanwhile, Molly was on the phone to the clinic again.

"Hi, it's me again...can you bring a stretcher round as quick as you can, please?"

**This was supposed to be a one shot. It ended up being longer than anticipated. But there will only be four chapters.**

**I hope you liked it and will leave a review. A kind one :)**


	2. Owen's Mind

**Owen might be a little OOC here, but...that's the way it is. Hey ho.**

**Oh yeah...I don't own anything ^_^;**

Sometime later, Owen was sitting in the Choral Clinic with his wife and his cousin on either side of him, his arms wrapped tightly around the two of them. Molly was rubbing his back, her other hand lightly resting on his knee. Jin and Irene had arrived with a stretcher and had taken Ramsey over to the clinic and were examining him now. Owen had been about to follow when Molly stopped him and told him that, for Chloe's sake, they should wait another ten minutes. The last thing Chloe needed was to be walking behind her injured grandfather all the way to Harmonica Town.

Owen's head was spinning and he was finding it hard to concentrate on anything right now. He was only dimly aware of where he was. It had all happened so fast. One minute he and Molly were playful and everything was normal and then a phone call that lasted all of seven sentences had changed everything. He wasn't even sure how to feel. He felt numb, and yet he was scared, he wanted to cry, he wanted to be normal for the sake of his girls, he wanted to charge into the room and demand to know what was taking so long, but he didn't want to see what kind of condition Ramsey might be in. He was scared. But he couldn't let anyone see that.

At long last, Jin came out and motioned for Owen to come over. Owen disentangled himself and walked over to the young doctor, slowly. Chloe cuddled up to Molly instead.

"We've examined him thoroughly. It would appear he has been struck on the head and knocked out. If he was working with hot tools at the time, it would explain the burn on his leg."

"I saw that an iron hammer had fallen off the wall. I think the nail gave out. If he was working by the fire then he would have been right under it. And there was a branding iron next to him, so if he was using that and then it fell against his leg..."

Owen suddenly started to cough. Realising, he was dangerously close to throwing up, he tilted his head back and inhaled deeply in through his nose and exhaled out of his mouth. Jin was looking at him, alarmed, as was Molly. Chloe had finally fallen asleep in her arms.

After a minute Owen got his breathing back to normal. "If it fell against his leg, it would have burned it pretty bad," he finished.

Jin nodded. "An iron hammer would have caused a lot more damage than the scan showed...unless he was hit with the handle."

"We do hang the tools with their handles pointing to the ground. Ramsey said...it was safer." Owen swallowed and blinked hard to stop himself from crying.

Jin nodded again. "It will take time but he should come round and start recovering soon. However there is a lot of head trauma and he won't be discharged until all signs of trauma are cleared, at least. What's more, he will need a blood transfusion."

Owen blinked. "Right now?"

"As soon as possible."

Owen walked back to Molly.

"Grandpa needs blood. Would you mind terribly if we waited longer? I want them to test mine. If it's a match they can take it."

Molly put her hand against his cheek. "I'll wait for you for as long as you need, my love," she whispered. She pulled his face closer to kiss his lips briefly before letting him go.

Owen's control almost slipped at Molly's love. He took a second to mentally pull himself together before returning to Jin.

"Take my blood, if it's a match."

"Right this way, Owen."

Owen was taken into the same room as Ramsey. He flinched when he saw his grandfather lying on the bed. His head had been bandaged and his body was mostly hidden under the covers, but he was wired up to several machines that measured things like blood pressure, breathing and heart rate.

"Sorry," Jin apologised. "I know it looks scary." He pulled up a chair. "Sit down."

Owen sat and offered his arm. Jin prepared a needle and carefully pierced Owen's arm with it.

"Ow," Owen said. Then looked over at Ramsey and shut up.

"Testing won't take long," Jin said.

Owen didn't understand any of the medical equipment Jin was using to measure his blood. As much as he didn't want to look at Ramsey right now he ended up watching the heart monitor intently.

"It's a match!" Jin said. "I'll need to take a pint of blood."

"Sure," Owen said, offering his arm again. _At least something's gone right_.

Taking a pint of blood hurt a little bit more than taking the tiny tester measurement, but this time Owen stayed quiet. He was still watching the monitors. From what he could understand, Ramsey certainly wasn't getting any worse. Owen tried to find comfort in that. He couldn't.

"Done," Jin said, removing the tube and bag filled with Owen's blood. "Go home and get some rest. You can come back tomorrow."

"OK," Owen murmured. He got up slowly-he was a little light-headed-and went back to Molly.

Chloe was still asleep but Molly was awake. "Well?" she asked.

"My blood's a match so they took it and we can go home and come back again tomorrow," Owen said on one breath. He could suddenly feel his control slipping. He didn't want to be in the clinic anymore. "I can carry Chloe home. She can sleep on our sofa."

Molly nodded. Owen took Chloe in his arms easily, without waking her and headed to the door. Molly jumped up to open it for him, and then followed him into the cold night air. She could tell Owen was cracking. He walked with urgency and she had seen his eyes burning, as if the pain was desperately trying to escape.

Neither of them said anything, until they reached the farm and got inside the house. Molly said "I'll find Chloe a blanket" at the same time as Owen said "I'll lie Chloe on the sofa."

When Chloe was tucked under a spare blanket, with one of the sofa cushions tucked under her head, Owen and Molly retired to the bedroom. They both sat on the bed to remove their shoes and then Owen flopped backwards onto the covers. Molly turned to him.

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine"

"Owen, I know you. Right now you are the exact opposite of _fine_-"

"Dammit, Molly, I don't want to talk about anything!" Owen suddenly snapped at her.

He saw her flinch. Her eyes widened in shock. She bit down on her lower lip anxiously. And everything crashed on top of Owen at once. He broke.

"I'm sorry, Molly, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he gasped, as his eyes welled up with tears. He covered his face in his hands and began to cry.

It broke Molly's heart. Owen was always so happy, kind to everyone, an all-round, genuine nice guy. She had never seen him in this state before. But then, she had never seen this situation before.

"Oh, darling," she whispered, shifting closer to him, taking his hands from his face and wrapping her arms around his neck. Owen wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, as he sobbed into her shoulder.

Molly stroked his hair and kissed his cheek, whispering that it was OK, it was OK it was OK. Of course it wasn't OK, but what else could she do?

Owen finally began to calm down and sat up, loosening his grip on Molly.

"Can we cuddle?" he asked her.

Molly offered a sad smile. "You know you don't need to ask."

The two of them lay under the covers. Normally when they cuddled, Owen's arms went around Molly and she would snuggle up to his chest, feeling small and protected next to his muscle. This time, she kept her arms around his neck and he had his head in the crook of her neck, his arm over her stomach. She continued stroking his hair, and every so often she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Owen looked up at her and, not for the first time, thanked his lucky stars, the Harvest Goddess, the Harvest King and the Harvest Sprites that he had Molly in his life. If he didn't have her now, helping him stay in control and then putting him back together when he fell apart...he didn't want to think about that.

"Sure you don't wanna talk?" Molly asked, gently.

"I don't know where to begin," he sighed. He pulled out of her arms and sat up, turning to her so he could caress her face.

Molly leaned into his hand, holding it to her face. "Just talk," she suggested. "I find that when I have a lot of things buzzing round in my mind, then they seem to fall into place as I talk about them."

Owen took a deep breath. "Well, I'm worried about Ramsey, obviously," he started. "He's my grandfather and he's been around for as long as I can remember. He's always been strong, right down to his immune system. Apart from a cold every winter, he very rarely gets sick."

Molly sat up, listening carefully.

Owen continued. "Seeing him so...so..._broken_..." Owen shuddered. "I don't even know."

It didn't make much sense, but Molly understood what he was trying to say.

"And then Chloe's always so happy and cheerful," Owen went on. "I honestly don't remember the last time I saw her crying like that. And to think that she was the one who discovered Ramsey. She's _eight_!" Owen shook his head. "I love Chloe. She may as well be my sister. It breaks my heart seeing her in this state. And then I just exploded at you!"

Owen turned to Molly and took her into his arms. She felt so small and thin. "You just looked at me like...you were scared of me...and I have_ never_ treated you like that before. And then I suddenly thought you might leave me alone and I couldn't bear that...I need you now, more than ever. Because...I'm scared." A tear made its way down his face again. "I'm so scared that Ramsey's going to die. He's old, but he's so strong and he's always been there, it never crossed my mind. But this has reminded me that life ends. People don't live forever."

Owen had finally said everything that had been filling his mind. He let go of Molly, but looked down at the bed.

"I wish I knew how to reply to that," Molly said, in her soft voice that Owen loved so much. "I want to make everything better for you, darling. But I can't do anything right now. But I can promise you that I love you and I will stay by your side through this whole situation. No matter the outcome, I'll be right here beside you."

Owen leaned in and gave her a long, lingering kiss. As they kissed, Owen caressed Molly's cheek and she tangled her hands in his hair. They gently fell back onto the bed where they finally broke apart. Owen tugged the covers over the two of them and held onto Molly tightly, his cheek pressing against the top of her head, suddenly exhausted.

"You were wrong by the way," he said softly.

"What?"

"When you said you can't do anything right now? You were wrong. You're making me feel better just by being here with me." Owen sighed, the calm after the storm.

Molly smiled. "I'm glad. Happy to make you feel better."

Nothing more was said that night. They fell asleep cuddled up in each other's arms.


	3. Memories

**This chapter's a bit longer than the others. It's basically Owen's back story. I realised about halfway through writing it that it doesn't entirely match up with the game but it will do. For now.**

* * *

_"Grandpa, what's your job?" _

_A five year old Owen sat across from sixty year old Ramsey, looking at him eagerly._

_Ramsey raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"_

_"Daddy said that you could use fire to bend metal but I thought you couldn't bend metal, because it was so strong?"_

_"That's why fire is needed, Owen. This is something you learn when you get a lot bigger, but fire is so hot that it can make the metal melt and you can then bend it. Once you have the metal bent into a good shape you can use it to make things with it. You know the hammer your daddy uses in the mines?"_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"If he brings me enough of a particular kind of metal I can make it stronger."_

_"That sounds so cool! I want to do that when I'm a grown up!"_

_Ramsey smiled at his grandson. 'Kids say the darndest things' he thought to himself. 'You'll forget that by tomorrow morning Owen. You'll consider chasing all kinds of careers. Just don't become a miserable old grouch like me.'_

_Little did Ramsey know that ten years later, Owen would be asking him about an apprenticeship._

* * *

_"How was your weekend away, Mum?" Owen sat at the table at his grandfather's house, chatting to his mother on the phone._

_"It was lovely, dear," his mum had replied. "It was a very posh hotel, they served very nice food, and because it was our anniversary they gave us a free glass of champagne on our first night! They have a lovely big garden, and there's a swimming pool and a spa. We've been getting massages and taking walks together."_

_Owen made a face. "That doesn't sound like fun." _

_His mother laughed. "You're a ten year old boy! I wouldn't expect you to think that it sounds like fun!"_

_"When do you think you'll get home?"_

_"Er...what's our ETA?"_

_"Well I think-"_

_Owen heard a sudden, ear-splitting crash._

_"Mum? Mum?! Mummy!"_

* * *

_Ramsey stood in the graveyard, dressed in a black suit, watching two coffins being lowered into the groud._

_'Far too young' he could only think to himself._

_Owen stood next to him, also wearing black, tears constantly but silently flowing down his face. The two coffins belonged to his mother and father._

_It had been a tragic accident. From what the emergency services could figure out, Owen's mother had been on the phone with him whilst his father had been driving. His father turned to his mother when asked their estimated time of arrival and had driven straight into an oncoming lorry. _

_The crash that Owen had heard was the impact. His parents had flown through the windscreen and had ended up in pieces all over the road. Ramsey had been told that by the police, but Owen didn't know. Ramsey didn't think he needed the details._

_He had heard Owen screaming and came in the room to find him pressing the phone to his ear, asking for his parents. Ramsey had prised the phone away and listened, assuming the worst when he heard nothing. Owen was still screaming. Ramsey phoned a doctor for something that would calm Owen down and then simply held the boy tightly until the doctor arrived._

_The coffins were buried, the service ended. Ramsey and Owen were the only two people left in the graveyard._

_Owen sniffed and looked up at Ramsey. "What's going to happen now, Grandpa?"_

_Ramsey knelt down to the boys height-though for the first time he noticed how much smaller than Owen he was when he did that; 'he'll be a very tall man'-and put his hand on his shoulder. _

_"You'll live with me," he said. "And it will hurt. It might never stop hurting completely. But we'll get through it together."_

_Owen nodded. He suddenly hugged Ramsey tightly._

* * *

_"Owen, do you want to hold the baby?" his aunt smiled at him, holding a baby girl in her arms._

_"Er...sure." At sixteen Owen had never really dealt with children before and he could be clumsy at the best of times and was afraid of dropping her. But if he said no, he would look rude._

_"What time was she born?" Ramsey asked his daughter._

_"One o'clock this morning."_

_"And what name have you decided on?"_

_"Chloe."_

_"That's sweet," Owen mumbled, half to himself. He was looking at his newborn cousin for the first time._

_His aunt sighed as she turned to Ramsey. "I just hope she'll grow up OK. My brother's gone and she won't know her father. I'm so afraid of failing her."_

_Owen's aunt had been dating a man for six months when she fell pregnant. She had been ecstatic, him not so much. He became unfaithful to her and she got rid of him when he stumbled back home one night, drunk, with lipstick smeared all over his mouth and chin._

_Owen looked up at the mention of his aunt's brother-his own father-and then he looked back down at Chloe._

_'It'll be OK,' he thought to the baby. 'I'll be here for you whenever you need it. You don't need that cheating scumbag your mum used to date.' Quite impulsively, he leaned down to kiss Chloe's forehead._

* * *

_"I see. Well, thank you for letting me know."_

_Ramsey put the phone down and sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose._

_Owen looked up. "What's wrong?"_

_"More bad news I'm afraid. Your aunt was involved in a car accident this morning. She's gone."_

_Owen's face drained of colour. "Again?" was all he could ask._

_Ramsey nodded once. Owen hid his face in his hands. "Why do these bad things keep happening to our family, Grandpa?" he moaned, hoarsely._

_"I don't know," Ramsey murmured, his hand on Owen's back. 'Get this boy counselling' he thought to himself. 'He's been through so much, so young.'_

_"What happened to Chloe?" Owen asked faintly, as if he feared the answer._

_"Chloe? Nothing. She wasn't in the car. However, she'll need to live with us from now on," Ramsey said. "You poor kids."_

_Owen removed his hands from his face. "What about you? You've lost a son and daughter. You should be in the most pain."_

_Ramsey shrugged. "I should. But I focus on what I do have. A job I enjoy. Grandkids."_

_Owen managed a small smile. "So, what do we do now?"_

* * *

_Owen sat on the sofa, with Chloe in his lap. Ramsey and some neighbours had packed up Chloe's clothes and belongings and brought them to Ramsey's house. Owen __flatly refused to have Chloe in any kind of car and, honestly, Ramsey couldn't blame him. So Owen had walked Chloe over to their house and there they sat as the __boxes were piled in._

_"Where's Mama?" Chloe kept asking, every time someone came in, which was often._

_"Mama's...not here anymore," Owen explained, awkwardly. "She's gone somewhere special, but she can't come back."_

_"Owen, she's three. Don't tell her that," Ramsey scolded, as he brought another box into the room._

_"Why not?" Owen asked. "If I tell her anything else, she'll think her mother will come back and then it will upset her even more when she doesn't. She needs to know somehow." He turned back to Chloe._

_"You'll miss your mama, but my parents aren't here either. They're with your mama. And I miss them all," Owen swallowed back a lump in his throat. "But we'll be OK. Grandpa's here to take care of us. And I'm here for you too." Owen smoothed back Chloe's short, red hair; the gesture came to him quite naturally._

_"I love you, Chloe. And we'll get through this together."_

_Pride swelled in Ramsey's chest. 'That boy is one of a kind. He's lost so much but he can still smile to make someone else happy and give comfort when it's needed. I have never met anyone with such a big heart.'_

_He didn't say any of this. What he said was: "Owen, I saw an advert in the paper yesterday. There's a place known as Castanet and they need a blacksmith in an area known as the Garmon Mine district. It's out in the countryside, a fairly small area so there isn't really space for any cars. I've been thinking about taking the job."_

_Owen grinned. "Sounds great."_

* * *

_"You need me to start a fire to blow a bell out of my chimney?" Ramsey said to the girl standing in front of him._

_"Please sir. It's really important I get the bell back. It will get the fires working properly," the girl pleaded. Owen had been looking at her for a while. He couldn't quite seem to look away. She had short hair that was a unique mix of brown and red, a colour that Owen had never seen in hair before. There was a curl on the top of her head which couldn't seem to flatten. Her eyes were a warm amber and framed by long dark lashes._

_"Ironic that we need fire to free a bell that can apparently bring fire back to the town," Ramsey sighed. "It can happen but it will take a lot. You need to go into the mine and find iron ore, copper ore, silver ore and gold ore. The combined strength is currently the only way to get a decent blaze up again."_

_The girl looked slightly overwhelmed. Owen coughed. "I can help you if you need," he offered._

_The girl smiled at him and Owen's breath caught in his throat. "I would appreciate that," she said happily._

_"Alright, follow me!" Owen lead the girl out the house before Ramsey could say anything._

_Owen taught her the basics of mining and, although they only found iron ore on their first try, he promised her he would help her again tomorrow._

_"Thanks, I really appreciate it, I've never been mining before," the girl told him, happily._

_"Kind of lucky you have me around I suppose. I've been mining and stuff for a while, and I'm kind of my grandpa's apprentice," Owen said. "Hang on, I've just realised, I don't know your name."_

_"It's Molly," the girl smiled. She seemed to be very happy. Maybe that was just her._

_"I'm Owen," he replied, shaking her hand._

_He watched Molly walk back in the direction of the farm she had taken over, then turned and headed back inside._

_"We don't have everything we need just yet," he told Ramsey, who nodded._

_"You were certainly quick to offer your help," Ramsey noted._

_"Well...she looked really overwhelmed...turns out she's never been mining before...she might get hurt," Owen said. He dived into his room before Ramsey could say anything else._

* * *

_"Told you that last cocktail was one too many," Luke, the carpenter's son, said to Owen, shaking his head. Luke, Molly and Owen had decided to go to the bar that evening and Owen had mentioned he had a good tolerance with alcohol. Luke had challenged him._

_"It's your fault, you made me drink it all," Owen groaned. _

_"Still, considering how much you did drink, you don't need us to help you walk," Molly pointed out. It was true. Owen could walk by himself and only had to be steadied twice on the way: on their way out of the bar and on the bridge leading to the Garmon Mine district._

_"I knew you'd be on my side," Owen grinned, putting his arm around Molly, who blushed a little._

_Luke noticed, and smirked. "Let's see whose side Ramsey's on, shall we?"_

_"That old-timer doesn't scare me!"_

_"Old-timer, am I?"_

_"Uh-oh," Luke muttered as they saw Ramsey standing by the door of his shop, glaring at Owen with a face like thunder. "Molly, you should get back to the farm. Ramsey wants to murder Owen from the look of it."_

_"Will Owen be OK?" Molly asked, before realising Owen was already sauntering over to Ramsey._

_"Don't shout, Gramps, you'll wake everyone!"_

_"Just get your butt in here!" Ramsey hauled Owen inside the shop and slammed the door behind them._

* * *

_Owen's punishment was being woken up at sunrise and being sent straight to the mines, a long list of ores that Ramsey apparently needed was in his pocket. Ramsey didn't really need them all, he was just making it difficult for Owen._

_Owen didn't blame him though. He did need to stop drinking so much when he had work the next day._

* * *

_"I hope Ramsey didn't murder you too badly," Molly joked. She and Owen were sitting on the bench by the lighthouse, a few days later._

_"He came bursting into my room at the crack of dawn shouting that he needed me to get my arse into the mine and find everything that was on the list he'd given me," Owen said, smiling sheepishly. "He didn't even need them all. He was just making my life difficult."_

_"Oh," Molly frowned. "That's harsh."_

_Owen shook his head. "I got drunk. It was my own fault."_

_"Still...he seems a lot nicer to Chloe than you. Don't you ever feel like he's...I don't know...favouring Chloe or something?"_

_Owen sighed deeply. "I know it appears that way but...if it weren't for my grandfather...I don't know where I'd be," he swallowed. "Probably in a gutter, stealing money for drink."_

_Molly was shocked. Owen turned away._

_"There's a lot of stuff I don't talk about often," he murmured. _

_However, he found he could tell it to Molly. He told her everything that happened from his parents death up until that moment. It brought back some painful memories but Molly had sat patiently, listening to it all and she didn't force anything._

_When Owen was finished he turned his face towards the sea. Molly was quiet for a minute._

_"You've been through so much," she said softly. "And yet you can still be one of the kindest people I know."_

_Owen smiled sadly. "Well, not to toot my own horn but...they say the kindest hearts have felt the most pain."_

_Molly shuffled closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. Owen hugged her back, his cheek on the top of her head._

_"Thank you for telling me all that," Molly said. "Even though it must have been hard. And I think I understand you and Ramsey a little better."_

_"I feel like I owe him my life," Owen said softly. "Even now, I get nightmares sometimes...if I've had a rough night, he can tell with one look." He breathed in the scent of her hair. It was somewhat floral. "Thank you for listening. And for being here with me."_

_Molly smiled. "It means a lot that you feel like you can tell me things like that."_

* * *

_Owen walked Molly home, then carried on to his house. His was thinking._

_His mind was so occupied that he could only pick at his food. _

_"Are you OK, Owen?" Chloe asked. He normally shovelled it all down in five minutes._

_"I'm fine...I've, er, already eaten," Owen said, cheerfully. Ramsey narrowed his eyes._

_When Owen retired to his room to read and lift weights, Ramsey followed._

_"What's up, boy?"_

_Owen sighed. He couldn't hide anything from Ramsey._

_"Grandpa...I think I like Molly...like...I want to ask her out...she's just...I don't know...there's always been something about her that's drawn me in...and we were talking today and I was just so at ease...and..." Owen went on rambling about Molly's beauty._

_Ramsey waited until Owen was finished. "So, why are you telling me?"_

_Owen blinked. "Well, I can't tell Chloe, can I?"_

_"What I mean is," Ramsey explained, patiently, "why are you telling me all this when you need to be telling it to Molly?"_

_"I'm scared," Owen let out a nervous laugh. "What if she says no?"_

_"What if she says yes?" Ramsey countered. "Think of it this way, Owen. You can sit here mooning about it and being afraid of rejection whilst some other fellow walks by the farm and wins her heart. Or you can get your arse over to the farm, confess your feelings, and she says yes and it could be the best thing that ever happens in your life. And I've seen the way she looks at you. I would be very surprised if she said no."_

_Owen considered this. "I'll go."_

* * *

_It was during the Moon Viewing Festival. Ramsey was sitting on a hill, next to Chloe. He could see Owen and Molly sitting very close together, a fair distance from everyone else. _

_Owen held Molly's chin with two fingers, and gently tilted her face towards his. He kissed her so tenderly that, even from where Ramsey was sitting, he could feel the love the couple shared._

_Owen broke off the kiss so he could brush the tip of his nose against Molly's, as she giggled adoringly._

_"Eew," Chloe scowled. Ramsey chuckled and ruffled her hair._

* * *

_"I found this feather on the summit of the mountain."_

_Ramsey was not too surprised to see Owen come in holding a blue feather._

_"Use it to propose to Molly."_

_"What?"_

_"Bluebirds are very rarely spotted. But when they sense two people sharing a great love they might just appear for them, leaving behind a feather which is used to propose," Ramsey explained. "Did I never tell you that before?"_

_"No." Owen looked at the feather._

_"Owen, you and Molly are madly in love, and I think you were always meant to be. Since you met her I've noticed how much happier you've got. It's true happiness now, not just because you don't want other people to be sad."_

_Owen smiled at Ramsey. "Thanks Grandpa." It was all he could say._

_"You deserve to be truly happy, Owen. You have the biggest heart I've ever seen. So get your arse to the farm and propose to your lady. I can make you a blue feather wedding ring, free of charge."_

_Owen's grin got even bigger. He nodded once, and charged out of the house._

* * *

_"You may now kiss the bride."_

_The congregation applauded as Owen and Molly shared a sweet kiss at the altar of the church._

_When they broke it off and turned towards everyone, Owen immediately looked for Ramsey. When he caught the old man's eye, Ramsey nodded, smiling, and felt pride for his grandson growing inside his chest once more._


	4. In the Morning

**Last chapter! Hope you like it!**

Chloe had been sleeping longer than her cousin and his wife, so naturally she woke up earlier than them. It was also natural that, when she went to wake them, they weren't quite ready to wake up yet.

"Time 's'it?" Owen yawned as he sat up, picking sleep out of his eyes.

"Just after nine," Chloe said. "Are you guys OK? I thought I heard shouting last night, but I might have dreamed it."

"You might have dreamed it," Owen said. "We're fine." He didn't want to stress Chloe out further by telling her of his explosion last night.

"Do you guys want any breakfast? Something to drink?" Molly asked, looking down at herself and realising she had slept in her clothes.

"Please," Chloe said.

Owen yawned again. "I hope you don't mind but I might need a full keg of coffee."

Molly didn't have a keg but she cheerfully made a second cup of coffee after Owen had finished his first. Chloe had a cup of tea, and Molly had some green tea with lemon. She found it refreshing and it was good at waking her up in the morning.

She fried some bacon and scrambled some eggs for the three of them, then she and Owen went to change into fresh clothes. Chloe was still in her pyjamas from when she had gone to bed before the accident. She waited for Owen and Molly to be ready before going back to her house to change clothes. She couldn't face it alone. Not yet.

When the three of them were decent and acceptable for going out in public, they made their way over to the clinic. As they got nearer, Owen squeezed Molly's hand tightly. She looked up at him.

"You OK?"

"Nervous," he replied. She squeezed his hand back.

Chloe and Molly waited for Owen as he approached the front desk. However, Irene was smiling.

"Ramsey's made a lot of progress since the transfusion. You can visit him, but only for a little while. He still needs a lot of rest."

"Thank you," Owen replied, feeling like a weight had just lifted.

He turned back to Molly and Chloe, who could immediately tell that it was good news.

"We can see him for a little while; he still needs a lot of rest."

"At least we can see him," Chloe said, happily, skipping along beside Owen.

Ramsey was propped up against the pillows when they came in. "They told me to expect you three," he said. "Are you all alright?"

Molly suddenly laughed. "Shouldn't we be asking you that?"

"Well, I'm healing apparently. But I'm sure you three have had quite a night." Ramsey eyed Owen suspiciously. Molly suddenly remembered something Owen had said to her, about half a year ago:_ if I've had a rough night, he can tell with one look._

Ramsey didn't ask further questions about it. The four of them sat together talking about trivial things until Jin came in to tell them Ramsey needed rest.

Chloe gave Ramsey a very gentle hug and kiss. "See you soon, Grandpa."

"Where are you staying?" Ramsey asked.

"She'll be staying with us," Molly said smoothly. Ramsey smiled.

"Take good care of my granddaughter when I'm not around. And my grandson. He's very lucky to have a girl like you in his life."

Molly twinkled, as she led Chloe out the room.

Owen hesitated. He had heard a double meaning in the phrase 'when I'm not around'.

"Grandpa?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know what to say...I guess...I've never thanked you for being there for me."

Ramsey raised an eyebrow. "What brought this on?"

Owen sighed. "I'll be frank. You won't be around forever. Last night's events kind of made me realise that. And I can't let you pass on without thanking you. If it weren't for you...I could be in the gutter. Or worse."

"Hey," Ramsey interrupted. "You've kept yourself out the gutter by focusing on what else is important. Chloe, for example. And, as of the past year or so, Molly. And I intend to stick around for a few more years. My time hasn't come. Not yet."

Owen laughed. "I love you, Grandpa," he muttered, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

The old man glowed. "I love you too, Owen," he said, gruffly. "Now get out of here or I'll have you escorted off the premises."

Owen was still laughing as he closed the door behind him.

That night, he lay in bed with Molly curled at his side.

"Are you alright?" she asked him. "You stayed with Ramsey a little longer than me and Chloe did."

"I'm fine," Owen said calmly. "I was just saying something I should have said earlier."

Molly propped herself up on her elbow to kiss him. "I love you, Owen."

Owen grinned his big grin and pulled Molly into a tight hug.

"I adore you, sweetheart."

**Well that's the end!**

**I hope you enjoyed and will leave a pleasant review. If you didn't enjoy...well, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it!**

**Seriously though, be nice. It's been a long time since I've published on to this site. My self-confidence isn't always that strong. ^_^;**

**I'll miss Animal Parade when I'm back at university but if I get another flash of inspiration I might choke out another story. Who knows?**

**I feel like there's a moral here: seize the day and tell people how you feel before it's too late!**

**:)**


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